SENIOR

HIGH
SCHOOL

Creative Nonfiction
Quarter 1 – Module 2:
The Literary Elements
Creative Nonfiction
Quarter 1 – Module 2: The Literary Elements

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Regional Director: Gilbert T.

Sadsad Assistant Regional Director: Jessie
L. Amin

Development Team of the Module

Writer: Joyce T. De
Guzman
Editors: Cecile F. Laxa

Francia T.

Reviewer: Honesto M. Pesimo Jr.

Camarines Norte Division (headed by Emma

Layout Artist: Joyce T. De

Guzman

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QUARTER 1, MODULE 2

• The Literary Elements

What makes a work fiction? Or drama? Or poetry? What delineates one genre
from the other? If one is interested to write poetry, how can he or she tell that it
indeed is poetry? These exciting questions will be answered as you go through
lesson 2 where you will be acquainted with the elements of the aforementioned
genres.

Learning Competencies:
1. Analyze and interpret the theme and techniques used in a particular text
2. Create samples of the different literary elements based on one’s
experience (e.g. metaphor to describe an emotion)

Learning Targets:
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
1. Read sample works and analyze the techniques used and the
underlying themes;
2. Write sample sentences/paragraphs about a personal experience
utilizing the different literary elements.

KEY WORDS
Setting
Charact
er Plot
Point of
Fiction view
Conflict
Theme

Rhym
e Rhyme
Scheme Poetry
Rhythm

dialogue
venue
Drama costume
s set
design
music

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VOCABULARY LIST
1. Characters are persons, animals and other things that make the story
alive.
2. Setting basically refers to the time and place of the narrative. It also
includes the set and background of the story or play.
3. Plot refers to the strings of event present in the narrative.
4. Point of view is the narrator’s way of telling the story.
5. Conflict is struggle of the pre-eminent character with other characters
or forces of the story.
6. Theme is the subject of the story.
7. Poetry is an art form that uses figurative languages such as
simile and metaphor.
8. Drama is an art form that is usually done on stage.
9. Fiction is an art form that usually uses the ordinary language. Short
story and novel are examples of fiction.
10. Dialogue is the exchange of ideas of the characters in a fiction.

PRE-TEST
Directions: Can you guess the literary elements described below? Write your
answer in your notebook.
Part A.
1. They are the events that happen in a story.

2. It is the struggle that occurs between forces in the narrative.

3. They can be people, animals, or even things that live in the story.

4. It is the underlying truth that is conveyed by a literary work.

5. It is the perspective from which the story is told.

6. It basically refers to the time and place of the narrative.

Part B.
1. It is the occurrence of the same sounds at the end of each line in poetry.

2. It is the pattern that is created by the rhyming words in poetry.

3. It is the term used to refer to the lines in poetry.

4. It is the term which refers to a group of verses.

5. It is the pattern created by stressed and unstressed syllables or words.

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LEARNING ABOUT IT
Elements of Fiction

How does one say that a particular work is fiction? Generally, fiction
work is not real hence writers can utilize both the imagination and complex
figurative language to appeal to the readers. Fiction is also characterized by
structured language, adherence to proper grammatical pattern, and correct
mechanics. A work of fiction may combine fantastical and imaginary ideas
from everyday life. Written imaginatively, it comprises some important
elements like plot, setting, character, conflict, and point of view to lead the
readers to its theme.
Because literature is basically an art and not a science, it is not always
a good idea to specifically approach fiction while looking for these elements.
Rather, it is better to read a fiction work and examine it closely then decide
for yourself what element(s) was/were highlighted and how important and
significant it is to what the writer is trying to convey.
For beginning fiction writers, on the other hand, it is important to know
what makes fiction. A chef trying to cook a particular gourmet dish should
know the ingredients and how each will affect the flavor of the food being
prepared. This is similar to writing. With this understanding in mind, let us
find out the ingredients when cooking up fiction.

A. Character
Characters are beings who live in the story. They can be actual
people from this planet to aliens from somewhere in the outer space.
At other times, they can be animals, and even inanimate objects; they
can even be supernatural presences or make-believe creatures like
goblins, fairies, dragons, or elves.
Characters are important in fiction because they are the ones
with whom the readers empathize. Readers also look for characters to
root for or against, to fall in love with, to care or to hate, and even
dream to meet.
Readers come to know and understand the characters’ actions,
motivations, feelings and emotions through what they say, what they
think, how they act, and even through what other characters say about
them. A writer should therefore take this in consideration when
creating the characters to life.
Characters can be flat or round. A flat character is not sufficiently
developed, described very little, and plays very minor role in the
narrative. Sometimes they are simply stock characters or those known
simply as the “wicked stepmom,” or the “loyal servant.”
A round character, on the other hand, has a leading role in the
narrative. In contrast with a flat character, a round character is
complex, multi-dimensional, and well-developed that they seem “to
come to life.” These characters may undergo change through the
circumstances where they are placed, hence making them lifelike.
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Characters can also be static or dynamic (also called
developing). A static character remains the same throughout the
narrative while a dynamic one undergoes change. The change can
be brought by factors and elements

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experienced by the character and may impact on his or her attitudes,
beliefs, or actions.

B. Setting
Simply put, setting answers the question “where” and “when”
about the narrative. Answers to these questions give rise to the two
types of setting: the physical and chronological setting.
Physical setting refers to where the story takes place. It can be
very general like in a farm, a school, or a laboratory; or it can be
specific, like “in the Metropolitan Naga Cathedral,” or “at McDonald’s
Diversion Road branch.”
The chronological setting can also be general or specific, as during
the “Christmas season,” or “during the early morning of December 16
in 2019.”
Sometimes, the setting is immaterial to the story, as when the
writer wants to be universal and not limited by time and space.
Aside from the chronological and physical setting, it also includes
the following:
a) the immediate surroundings of the characters such as
props in a scene: trees, furniture, food, inside of a house or
car, etc.,
b) the weather such as cloudy, sunny, windy, snow, or rain, etc.,
and
c) the geographical location including the city, state,
country, and possibly even the universe, if the writer is
writing science fiction.

C. Plot
Plot is the order of events in the story. Writers usually follow a
particular
plot structure, called “Freytag’s Pyramid,” although this is not always
the case, as some may opt to start from the middle part or ending part
and go backwards to where the events began.
Freytag’s Pyramid is named after the German playwright of the
1800s, Gustav Freytag, and has the five-part plot structure which
includes the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and
denouement, also known as resolution.

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Clima
x

Denoueme
Expositi
nt or
on
Resolution

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Freytag’s Pyramid

a) Exposition introduces the characters, time, and the problem. This

occurs at the start of the story up to the point where an inciting
incident happens for the main character to handle or solve. The
exposition creates the beginning of the story.

b) Rising action includes the happenings that the main character

encounters. As each event develops, more complications arise,
making the problem more complex for the character.

c) Climax refers to the turning point in the story. This is usually a single
event with the greatest intensity and uncertainty. Here the main
character contends with the problem hence creating the peak of
interest for the readers.

d) Falling action are the events that unfold after the climax. The
resulting events after the climax create an emotional response from
the reader.

e) Denouement or resolution provides closure and ties up loose ends in

the story.

D. Conflict
Conflict is the struggle between opposing forces or entities. The
main character encounters a conflict which may be an adversary or
any other force to contend with.
Generally, there are two types of conflict: external and internal.
External conflict could be man against nature (a mother and her child
evacuating at the height of typhoon Yolanda), or man against man (a
student being harassed by a bully classmate). Internal conflict could be
man against society or culture, or man against himself or herself.
Readers might find external conflict more exciting than internal
conflict, but it is worthwhile to think that in real life, people experience
more of the latter than of the former.

E. Point of view
Who is telling the story? How is the story told? Point of view
answers these questions.

There are three different types of point of view which writers use in
telling fiction.
a) First person point of view means that the story is told from the
viewpoint of one of the characters who may be the protagonist or
main character in the narrative. Here, first person personal
pronouns are used like I, me, my, we, and our. By using this point of
view, readers may feel an affinity and empathy for the narrator as
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the narration can include the narrator’s motives, thoughts and
feelings. On the other hand, this view may be limited as it cannot
say for certain other characters’ thoughts, feelings, and motives.

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b) The second person point of view which is seldom used, speaks to the
reader as if the reader is the protagonist. At other times, the
narrator may use apostrophe, a figurative language where the
speaker talks to an absent or unidentified person. The second
person pronouns are used here like you and your.
c) The third person point of view is classified into third person limited
and third person omniscient. In both types of view, the narrator is
not a character nor in the story. In third person limited, the narrator
is limited only to one of the character’s thoughts. In third person
omniscient, the narrator is “all- knowing” and “all-seeing” and
knows various characters’ thoughts. This view uses third person
pronouns like he, she, it, and they.

F. Theme
Theme is the underlying truth conveyed by the author through
the story. Themes are usually universal which means that they are
understood by readers across cultures, eras, or nationalities. Some
common themes include coming of age, circle of life, prejudice, greed,
good vs. evil, and beating the odds. Theme is different from the moral
or lesson of a narrative.

Elements of Poetry
Rhyme
This is the easiest feature to identify in a poem. If the last word in the
first line of poetry rhymes with the last word in the second line, or the third,
you can easily identify a pattern. Rhyme does not depend upon spelling; it is
a matter of sound, or pronunciation.

Rhyme Scheme
When you can identify a repeating pattern of similar-sounding words at
the ends of the lines, then you have a rhyme scheme. Simply assign a letter
of the alphabet (starting with A, of course) to each word at the end of a line
of poetry; rhyming words are given the same letter. Sometimes a pair of
words nearly rhymes; you assign the same letter to each of these words also.

Rhythm
Rhythm (or meter) is a slightly more difficult aspect of poetry for some
students. There is a natural rise and fall in our language: we stress certain
syllables and words more than others in order to emphasize meaning. In
poetry, these patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables or words form a
rhythm or meter. There is a name for each of the common patterns. In your
study of poetry, it is not necessary to memorize and agonize over these lists
of terms. They are presented here merely for your information and as a
starting point in understanding the rhythm of poetry.
There were rules in writing poetry in the past. Poets arranged lines
(also called verses) into groups called stanzas. Usually the poems were quite
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neat and evenly- shaped - the lines were roughly the same length, the
stanzas all contained a pre- determined number of lines. The rhyme schemes
were regular, and the rhythm was identifiable.

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Nowadays, modern poets break all of these rules because they feel that
their poetry will be stilted and artificial if they cannot write freely, hence the
term free verse. At first glance it appears that all of the conventions of poetry
have been thrown away when you read such poetry, but in many ways free
verse is more difficult to write. The poet creates his or her own form,
although the poem must still sound like a poem; otherwise, it is prose. The
poet is free to choose whether or not to use rhyme or a natural rhythm which
does not follow a set pattern.
Poetry, even more so than the other genres of literature, employs
figurative language to the best effect. Poets use literary devices as tools to
create images or vivid word pictures, for the reader. Figures of speech
require fewer words to express these images, and this “compact” feature
lends itself especially well to poetry, where there is usually a limit to the
length of a verse. The topic on figurative language will be discussed in the
succeeding lessons.

Elements of Drama
Drama is pretty much similar in certain narrative aspects to fiction, like
the presence of characters, plot, setting, conflict, and theme. Since drama is
intended for performance, it has particular elements, though, which are
distinct from other genres. This includes presentation elements like venue,
costumes, set design, lighting design, and music.

KEEPING YOU IN PRACTICE

Task 1
Directions: Can you tell what narrative element is highlighted in the following
excerpts? Write your answer in your notebook.

1. He thought about Marian. She had left him nine years ago after five
years of marriage. He was fifty-two now; that would make her just
under forty. Marian had dreams of becoming a musician, a folksinger.
(Robert James Waller, The Bridges of Madison County)

2. I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t afraid. I don’t want to die, and thanks
to my parents—my mother lived to ninety-six—I long assumed that I
was genetically capable of growing even older than I already am. Until
a few months ago, I fully believed I had half a dozen good years left.
Well, maybe not good years. That’s not the way it works at my age.
I’ve been disintegrating for a while now—heart, joints, kidneys, bits and
pieces of my body beginning to give up the ghost—but recently
something else has been added to the mix. Growths in my lungs, the
doctor said. Tumors. Cancer. My time is measured in months now, not
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years… but even so, I’m not ready to die just yet. Not today. There is
something I have to

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do, something I have done every year since 1956. A grand tradition is
coming to an end, and more than anything, I wanted one last chance
to say good-bye.
(Nicholas Sparks, The Longest Ride)

3. At Kalispell, Montana, he stopped for the night, late. The Cozy

Inn looked inexpensive, and was.
(Robert James Waller, The Bridges of Madison County)

Task 2
Directions: Read the following selection then identify the narrative elements
present in the text. Write your answers in your notebook.

Aries – The Ram

Athamas, the legendary king of Thessaly, had two children, Phrixus and
Helle. He had remarried and Ino, the children’s stepmother, began to treat
them very badly. They were treated so cruelly that Hermes took pity on them
and sent a magical ram to take them away and escape their stepmother’s
wrath.
Mounted on the ram’s back, the children flew over land and sea to the
east. Unfortunately, Helle failed to get a good hold on the fleece of the ram
and as they flew over the strait that separates Europe and Asia, she fell off
and was drowned in the sea far below. That sea is called Hellespont to this
day in honor of her memory.
Phrixus landed safely at Colches, which is on the edge of the Black Sea.
In gratitude for his safe deliverance, Phrixus sacrificed the ram and gave its
Golden Fleece to the king of that country.
In honor of the ram’s great sacrifice in saving the children, Zeus placed
the ram’s constellation, Aries, in the night sky. (adapted from “Constellation
Legends”)

1. Characters

2. Setting

3. Conflict

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4. Point of view

5. Plot

Expositio

n:

Rising Action:

Climax:

Falling Action:

Resolution:

6. Theme

Task 3
Directions: Characterize an ideal mother that will be a part of a play. This
mother may be your own mother or the mother of your relative or friend. You
may use a bio-data so that the characterization is clear. Write your answer in
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your notebook.

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*Rubrics
5 – Correct use of language/grammar; clear characterization as regards to the
mother’s attitude, thoughts and actions; localization of character
3 – Minor errors on the use of language/grammar; clear characterization as
regards to the mother’s attitude, thoughts and actions; localization of
character
1 – Major errors on the use of language/grammar; unclear characterization
as regards to the mother’s attitude, thoughts and actions; localization of
character

POST-TEST
Directions: It seems that you have already gotten the hang of the different
literary elements, especially those of fiction. That means you are ready to
work on your own, while taking in consideration your personal experience as
you write your answers to the following activity. In this activity, you will
create samples of narrative elements based on your personal experience. To
be able to do this, write 2-3 sentences for each writing prompt in your
notebook. Be guided by the element being highlighted in each writing
prompt.

1. Point of view
What point of view do you think would be most effective when talking
about your personal experience? (Note: Use that point of view as you
answer the questions in the succeeding writing prompts.)

2. Theme
Think about a specific truth about life that you want to discuss.

3. Characters
Who were two of the most memorable people you have met in life?
Talk about them and describe how they look like.

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4. Setting
What particular place do you like best? What makes the place
special? Think about the particular time of day you would want to go to
your favorite place.

5. Conflict
Recall an incident when you were in opposition with
somebody/someone or yourself. How did it feel like? How were you able
to go through the struggle?

6. Plot
Think about the events that led you to your most embarrassing
experience. Write about it following Freytag’s Pyramid.

ASSIGNMENT

Directions: In this time of Pandemic, write ten (10) specific themes think that
appeal most to the Bicolano/Filipino readers and briefly explain why such
themes are chosen. Write your answers in your notebook.

Themes on Pandemic
Theme Explanation
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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References

Department of Education. (February 2014). K to 12 Senior High School

Humanities and Social Science Strand – Creative Nonfiction Curriculum Guide.

Jerz Literary Weblog, est 1999.

https://jetrz.setonhill.edu/writing/creative1/shortstory/

Elements of Creative Nonfiction. Adapted from “Chapter 2: Telling a

Story” from EmpoWord by Shane abrams, Chapter 2, licensed CC BY NC
4.0 by Portland State University. From
https://human.libretexts.org/Courses/ASCCC/writing_and_Critical_Thinking_Thro
ugh_Li
terature_(Ringo_and_Kashyap)02%3A_About_Creative_Nonfiction/2.02%3A_Ele
ments
_of_Creative_Nonfiction

Freytag’s Pyramid. Authored by: Gustav Freytag. Provided by: Wikipedia.

Located at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatic_structure. License: CC BY-
S: Attribution- ShareAlike

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